Minecraft

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a combination that sits in the lower-middle tier of tested hardware for Minecraft. With a combo rank of 3085 out of 3710 possible combinations, this setup places itself in the 83rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 83% of the configurations that have been benchmarked in this game. While that rank might sound modest, the actual frame rate data tells a more nuanced story, showing that this pairing can deliver smooth performance in most scenarios, with a few notable exceptions at the highest settings and resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in Minecraft is 3085 out of 3710 tested combinations. This positioning puts the system in a bracket where it is not among the elite performers but is far from the bottom of the pile. The data suggests that the combination of the Core i7-12700KF and the GTX 1660 SUPER is well-balanced for a game like Minecraft, which is not known for being particularly demanding on high-end hardware. The rank reflects a configuration that can handle the game's blocky worlds with relative ease, but the score is heavily influenced by the ultra settings and 4K resolution results, which are the most demanding scenarios.

Looking at the components individually, the CPU is a strong performer. The Intel Core i7-12700KF sits at the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403, and the Intel Core i5-13600T, which scores 35305. The delta between the i7-12700KF and these rivals is minimal, ranging from -0.2% to 0.2%, indicating that the CPU is well within the performance envelope of its closest competitors. The GPU, on the other hand, is a mid-range part. The GTX 1660 SUPER is at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and the AMD Radeon RX 580, with deltas of 0.4% and 0.4% respectively.

The combination of a high-ranking CPU and a mid-ranking GPU creates an interesting dynamic. The CPU is clearly capable of pushing high frame rates, but the GPU may become the limiting factor in more demanding scenarios. The data shows that the system's overall rank in Minecraft is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance at higher resolutions, where the CPU's power is not fully utilized.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features a TU116 chip. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, offering a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective. The base clock is 1530 MHz, with a boost clock of 1785 MHz. These specifications are typical for a mid-range GPU from 2019, and they play a significant role in Minecraft's performance.

In Minecraft, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the GTX 1660 SUPER can push exceptionally high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU's limits become apparent. The 6 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Minecraft's textures, but the GPU's raw compute power—5.027 TFLOPS for FP32—is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings. The benchmark results show that at 4K Ultra, the system averages only 39 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p High average of 189 FPS.

The GPU's 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs, along with a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s, are all mid-range numbers. These specifications suggest that the GPU is built for 1080p gaming rather than 4K. The data confirms this, with the 4K results being the lowest of all tested resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 189 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 119 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 62 FPS. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is slightly steeper than what would be expected if the GPU were the only limiting factor, but the CPU is not a bottleneck at these settings, as the frame rates remain high.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar, with 300 FPS at 1080p, 189 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is a 67% drop, which is a consistent pattern across settings. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 238 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p, and 78 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1080p to 4K is 67%. At Ultra settings, the pattern continues, with 118 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, representing a 37% drop between 1080p and 1440p, and a 67% drop between 1080p and 4K.

The consistent scaling across settings suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor when moving from 1080p to 4K. The CPU, with its strong single-thread performance and high core count, is not a significant constraint. The data shows that the frame rates are more than adequate for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the system is only viable at Low or Medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings. At Low, it averages 300 FPS, which is a very high number and suggests the game is almost CPU-bound. At Medium, the average is 238 FPS with a min of 202 FPS and a max of 273 FPS. High settings yield an average of 189 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 118 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 182 FPS, indicating that the GPU is well capable of handling the game at 1080p, even at the highest settings.

At 1440p, the frame rates are still high but begin to show the GPU's limitations. Low averages 189 FPS, Medium 150 FPS (min 127 FPS, max 172 FPS), High 119 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 115 FPS, which is less dramatic than at 1080p, but still shows that Ultra settings are more demanding.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low averages 99 FPS, Medium 78 FPS (min 67 FPS, max 90 FPS), High 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 60 FPS, and the frame rates at High and Ultra are below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.

The data shows that the system is capable of 60+ FPS at 1080p at all settings, 1440p at all but Ultra, and 4K only at Low and Medium settings. The 39 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only result that is below 60 FPS, and it's the only scenario where the system fails to deliver a playable frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience for this system is at 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings. At 1080p, the player can choose Ultra and still get 118 FPS on average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. At 1440p, High settings give 119 FPS, which is also excellent. For players who want to push the visuals, 4K is possible at Low settings with 99 FPS, but the quality drop is significant.

The data suggests that the system is best suited for High settings at 1080p or 1440p. The frame rates at these settings are high enough to ensure a smooth experience. At 4K, the system is best limited to Medium settings, which gives 78 FPS, but the 67 FPS minimum is still playable. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 39 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target and will likely cause stuttering.

The sweet spot is 1440p High, which balances visual quality and performance, but 1080p High is also a good option for players with higher refresh rate monitors, as it provides 118 FPS at Ultra and 189 FPS at High. For the best visual quality, 1440p High is the best compromise between immersion and smoothness.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system in Minecraft?

A: The best resolution is 1440p with High settings, which gives an average of 119 FPS. 1080p is also excellent, with High settings providing 189 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in Minecraft?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 99, and at Medium it is 78. Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average score of 12986, which is comparable to the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (score 12940) and AMD Radeon RX 580 (score 12928), with deltas of 0.4% and 0.4% respectively.

Q: What is the CPU's role in Minecraft performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 1043, and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071. This makes it well-suited for Minecraft, which is not a heavily multi-threaded game.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system?

A: The best preset is Medium or High at 1440p, which gives 150 FPS and 119 FPS respectively. For 1080p, Ultra is also playable at 118 FPS.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER the bottleneck in this system?

A:** At higher resolutions and settings, the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the GPU drops to 39 FPS, while at 1080p Low, the CPU is more likely the limiting factor, with 300 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has a 25 MB shared L3 cache and a TDP of 125 W. The CPU's performance in Minecraft is strong, but the game is not highly parallel, so the CPU's single-core performance is more important than its multi-core capabilities.

The benchmark data shows the CPU's scores across various tests. In 3dmark, it scores 1043 in single-thread, 2065 in 2-thread, 4011 in 4-thread, 7211 in 8-thread, and 9983 in max-thread tests. In Cinebench R23, it scores 4071 in single-core and 28838 in multi-core. These scores indicate that the CPU is well above the average for most games, and its single-thread performance is particularly strong, which is beneficial for Minecraft's core gameplay loops.

The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for Minecraft, which typically does not scale beyond a few cores. The single-thread score of 1043 in 3dmark single-thread suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck. The system's frame rates at 1080p Low, which average 300 FPS, are likely CPU-limited, as the GPU is capable of even higher frame rates at that resolution.

The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this game, except at the very highest frame rates. The 300 FPS at 1080p Low is likely due to the CPU's performance, and the GPU cannot push much higher. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs solidifies its position as a capable processor for Minecraft.